Light weight expendable metal pallet

ABSTRACT

A lightweight, low cost and expendable metal pallet comprises of a plurality of cellular core structures, which are sandwiched between two thin metal plates, namely the deck-plate and bottom-plate, to form a composite load-bearing panel unit. An angle-frame collar is joined to the perimeter edges of the deck plate to form a tray-base cargo-stacking platform. The cellular core structures are spaced to allow access openings for pallet lifting via the two or four sides of the pallet.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the pallet which is a portable,horizontal, rigid platform used as a base for assembling, storing,stacking, handling and transporting goods.

Pallets are constructed from a number of materials, primarily wood,metal, plastic and corrugated fiberboard

BACKGROUND

The majority of the world's usage of pallets is constructed from wood.This is due to the properties of wood that make the pallet reusable andrepairable. Due to heavy deforestation, wood continues to become ascarcer and more valuable commodity. The cost effectiveness of usingwood for pallet making is fast being eroded. New regulations regardingwaste disposal have increased disposal fees of wooden pallets. Changingattitudes towards environmental issues and corporate responsibilitiesare leading companies to re-examine their pallet usage and managementstrategies. The issue of global warming due to deforestation and effortsfrom both government and non-government organizations (NGOs) to controlthe use of tropical timber are exerting much pressure against thecontinual usage of wooden pallets.

For the purpose of transoceanic shipment and long distancetransportation of products where the pallet is intended for a singletrip handling from shipper to receiver, the wood pallet is becoming anexpensive and eco-unfriendly piece of equipment.

The introduction of the returnable, reusable pallet system where metalpallets are used for transoceanic shipments has provided a partialalternative. The returnable metal pallets upon reaching the receiver, isunloaded, collected, packed and shipped back to the shipper. Thereturnable metal pallet concept is cheaper on a pallet cost per unitload basis due to the multiple reuse of the pallet, but the cost ofcollection, packing and return shipment of the empty pallets is stillhigh. The logistics and costs of returning the empty pallets thus becomethe major factors in determining the viability of the returnable metalpallet concept for each and every receiver's destination. Issues ofcustom laws pertaining to the import and export of the metal pallets areother factors of concern.

Existing prior art metal pallets are too expensive to be used for singletrip transoceanic shipment These metal pallets are designed to bereusable and are built to last, the characteristics required foreconomic justification for their high materials and construction costs.The following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,112,854, 4,485,744, 4,697,529, 5,367,960,6,095,292 and 6,510,801 are cited for references.

There is therefore a need of a pallet that is low cost and expendable toserve as an alternative to the disposable wooden pallet and returnablemetal pallet for transoceanic shipment and long distance transportationof cargo.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of this invention is to provide a metal pallet that is low incost both in terms of materials and manufacturing expenses and iseconomically justifiable to be expended with after its intended singletrip use for transoceanic shipment and long distance transportation ofcargo.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight yetstructurally strong metal pallet that is able to handle any load that awooden pallet or returnable metal pallet could handle.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a metal pallet toserve as an economical and environmental friendly alternative to thewooden pallet and returnable metal pallet for transoceanic shipment andlong distance transportation.

Independent Claim 1 defines the invention. The dependent Claims 2 to 11recite preferred features. In accordance with the invention the metalpallet as shown in FIG. 1, is rendered expendable by producing thepallet from a cost effective high strength-to-weight ratio sheet metaldesign. Two thin metal sheets namely the deck-plate 2 and thebottom-plate 3, are used to sandwich a lightweight, thin vertical walls5, and cellular metal structure core 1 to form a composite load-bearingunit as shown in FIG. 2, that is capable of taking high loads.

A collar 4 is fixed to the top four edges of the deck face sheet ordeck-plate 2 to strengthen the shearing and bending loads carryingcapacities of the pallet. The deck face sheet or deck-plate 2 is theload-bearing plane of the pallet.

In a preferred embodiment, the cellular core structures 1 are withcross-sections of polygon profiles as shown in FIG. 5(a) and 5(b) withtheir plurality of angles 6 or sides 7 either in closed or openedconfigurations. The two cross-section faces 8 of the core structures 1as in FIG. 4 are joined to the deck-plate 2 and bottom-plate 3respectively.

In another preferred embodiment, the cellular structures 1 shall havevertical walls 5 that are perpendicular to the deck-plate 2 andbottom-plate 3.

According to yet another preferred embodiment, the deck-plate 2 andbottom-plate 3 of the pallet are of full-faced plate coverage 10 and arebonded together by the core structures 1 to form a uniform compositepanel.

According to another feature of the light weight pallet, the optimumutilization of the load bearing capability of composite structure,permits the use of thin sheet metal for its construction and accordingto the present invention is economically advantageous. The thin metalsheet deck-plate 2 and bottom-plate 3 of the pallet are constructed ofsteel sheets with thicknesses from about 0.30 mm to 1.5 mm, and thecellular core structures are constructed of steel sheets withthicknesses from about 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm.

In yet another feature, the cellular core structures 1 are spaced toallow access openings 9 for pallet lifting from the two or four sidepositions of the pallet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cellular core structure 1 sandwichedbetween two face sheets, forming a composite loading panel.

FIG. 3 is the cross section view of the invention.

FIG. 4 is the perspective view of the cellular core structure 1 unit.

FIG. 5(a) shows some typical polygon structure profiles with closed-endconfigurations, and FIG. 5(b) shows the same but with opened-endconfigurations.

FIG. 6 shows a plurality of bottom-plate profile combinations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The lightweight expendable metal pallet according to the presentinvention is illustrated by the perspective view of FIG. 1. A pluralityof cellular structure 1 units forms the core of the pallet.

The cellular core structures 1 are sandwiched and bonded between twothin metal plates, namely the deck-plate 2 and the bottom-plate 3 toform a composite load-bearing unit.

A collar 4 in the form of an angle-frame is joined to the top four sidesof the deck-plate 2 to provide added shearing and bending loadcapacities to the pallet. The angle-frame collar 4 together with thedeck-plate 2 form a tray base that serve to help cargo stacking andarrangement.

The core structure unit as illustrated by FIG. 4 has a cross-section ofa right-angled alphabet ‘S’ configuration. The positioning of each andevery core structure units relative to the deck and bottom plates is notlimited to the orientation as shown but each can be rotated and varied.

1. A lightweight metal pallet as shown in FIG. 1 comprising of aplurality of cellular core structures 1 sandwiched and joined betweenthe two thin face metal plates called the deck-plate 2 and thebottom-plate 3, forming a composite load bearing unit, and anangle-frame collar 4 joined to the top four edges of the deck-plate 2forming a tray-base load bearing platform.
 2. A lightweight metal palletaccording to claim 1, wherein the cellular core structure 1 units havevertical walls 5 with cross-section profiles of a right-angled alphabet‘S’ configuration as shown in FIG.
 4. 3. A lightweight metal palletaccording to claim 1, wherein the cellular core structures 1 havevertical walls 5 and with cross-section profiles of a polygon with itsplurality of angles or sides either in closed-end configurations asshown in FIG. 5(a) or opened-end configurations as shown in FIG. 5(b).4. A lightweight pallet according with claim 2, wherein the cellularcore structures 1 are all of similar or different cross-section profilesand sizes.
 5. A lightweight pallet according with claim 2, wherein thetop and bottom cross-sectional faces 8 of the cellular core structures 1are joined to the deck-plate 2 and bottom-plate 3 respectively.
 6. Alightweight metal pallet according to claim 1, wherein the deck-plate 2and bottom-plate 3 are of full-faced plate coverage
 10. 7. A lightweightmetal pallet according to claim 1, wherein the said angle-frame collar 4is fabricated from angle sectionals and joined to the four side edges ofthe deck-plate
 2. 8. A lightweight metal pallet according to claim 1,wherein the said angle-frame collar 4 is formed by a 90 degrees foldingof the four side edges of the deck plate
 2. 9. A lightweight metalpallet according to claim 1, wherein the deck-plate 2 is of full-facedplate coverage and the bottom-plate is broken into segments, strips andpieces with a plurality of combinations as shown in FIG.
 6. 10. Alightweight metal pallet according to claim 1, wherein the deck-plate 2and bottom-plate 3 are constructed from thin steel plates of thicknessesfrom about 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm.
 11. A lightweight metal pallet according toclaim 1, wherein the cellular core structures 1 are constructed fromthin steel plates of thicknesses from about 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm.
 12. Alightweight metal pallet according to claim 1, wherein the cellular corestructures 1 are constructed from a material selected from the groupconsisting of a) Aluminum b) Alloys c) Molded plastic polymers d)Composites
 13. A lightweight metal pallet according to claim 1, whereinthe cellular core structures 1 are spaced to allow access openings 9 forpallet lifting from the two or four sides of the pallet.
 14. Alightweight pallet according to claim 3, wherein the cellular corestructures 1 are all of similar or different cross-section profiles andsizes.
 15. A lightweight pallet according to claim 3, wherein the topand bottom cross-sectional faces 8 of the cellular core structures 1 arejoined to the deck-plate 2 and bottom-plate 3 respectively.